Hwange lawmaker and African Food Systems Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN) member Daniel Molokele has called for a renewed focus on strengthening institutions rather than relying on short-term projects if Africa is to achieve lasting food systems transformation.
Molekele was speaking after the Partners for Change (P4C) Network meeting in Berlin, Germany,
Molokele argued that while discussions on agricultural finance, markets, climate resilience and innovation remain important, the continent’s greatest challenge lies in ensuring that institutions are capable of implementing agreed policies.
He noted that Africa has developed comprehensive frameworks over the past two decades including the Maputo, Malabo and Kampala Declarations yet implementation has consistently lagged behind policy ambitions.
“The more urgent question is whether our institutions are equipped to deliver the transformation we have already agreed upon,” Molokele said.
He added that successful food systems are built by institutions that coordinate stakeholders, build trust and provide continuity, not by isolated projects.
He warned against overreliance on individuals, saying governments change, donor programmes end and political priorities shift, while strong institutions endure.
Molokele also highlighted the evolving role of parliaments, arguing that lawmakers must become “systems leaders” capable of addressing the interconnected nature of food systems spanning agriculture, trade, health, nutrition, finance and climate policy.
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Legislators should ensure policies complement one another, budgets support long-term goals and national decisions improve citizens’ lives.
He cited AFSPaN as an important platform for strengthening parliamentary leadership through learning, evidence-sharing and best practices across the continent.
He also pointed to the Pan-African Parliament’s Model Law on Food Security and Nutrition as an example of continental cooperation.
Molokele said AFSPaN, working with AKADEMIYA2063 and the Shamba Centre, is establishing the African Repository for Parliamentary Action, a continental knowledge platform providing lawmakers with research, policy analysis and practical experiences.
The repository aims to equip parliamentarians with evidence-based tools to strengthen legislation, improve budget oversight and accelerate implementation of reforms.
He said the initiative complements AFSPaN’s 10-Year Parliamentary Call to Action for Agrifood Systems Transformation, which seeks to enhance leadership, accountability and implementation of the Kampala Declaration.
“The Kampala Declaration has shown us where we want to go. The next chapter is about how we get there. That journey will be defined not by the commitments we announce, but by the institutions we strengthen,” Molokele said.
